WHEN SPEED MATTERS – NHRA DRAG RACING AND DISASTER RECOVERY

YPSILANTI, MI – When 2013 NHRA Top Fuel champion Shawn Langdon starts the 2023 NHRA season for Kalitta Motorsports, speed will matter – just as it does when CMR Construction & Roofing is helping communities recover from a natural disaster like Hurricane Ian last year. The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season begins with the Amalie Oil Gatornationals set for historic Gainesville Raceway March 10-12, 2023 in Gainesville, Fla.

While the monster storm only grazed the Gainesville area, Hurricane Ian made landfall just west of Fort Myers, Fla., as a 150 mph category four storm on Sept. 28, 2022. The storm cut a path of destruction across Florida causing more than $113 Billion in damage making it the third-costliest weather disaster on record and the deadliest hurricane to strike Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island, Pine Island and Captiva Island sustained the worst damage – every structure in those areas sustained at least some damage.

Since that time, CMR has been working non-stop to help families, businesses and communities recover as quickly as possible. After more than two decades of storm recovery work, CMR has seen firsthand that when the news cycle fades away, the recovery work is only just beginning.

“We are very proud of our team, partners and neighbors and the work we have done together to raise money and provide necessary supplies and services throughout this recovery effort,” CMR Construction & Roofing CEO Steve Soule said. “We are currently helping nearly 6,000 home and business owners replace their roofs, with new people signing on every day. There is still much to be done, and we are working diligently to complete these projects as quickly as possible so people can return to their normal lives.

“’When Speed Matters’ is our motto because how quickly a family can return to their home or a company can resume business following a storm makes a real difference in their lives,” Soule added. “Days vs. weeks, weeks vs. months—these things matter. Our partnership with Kalitta Motorsports demonstrates our commitment to speed and to all of the talent, work and dedication it takes to accomplish that goal. Kalitta exemplifies our company values and always represents our brand proudly.”

“CMR is a great company, and going through Hurricane relief is what they do,” Langdon said. “Being a part of that is really Steve’s ‘MO’ – helping people. He’s a people person, and it’s great to see them be such an important part of hurricane relief. Their motto is ‘When Speed Matters;’ it’s all about getting the job done as fast as possible so it makes sense for them to be in drag racing.”

As it starts the 2023 season, Langdon’s CMR team is anxious to improve on last year’s results. Langdon reached two final rounds, made four semifinal appearances and finished 9th in the final point standings. It would have been good season for some but not Langdon and not Team Kalitta.

“You’re always gonna have times when things don’t go your way so your options are either cry like a baby or work harder – we’re working hard to get our car where it needs to be,” the 2013 NHRA Top Fuel Champion said. “We’ve had a fortunate couple of years – we haven’t won, but we’ve had good results. We’ve been in final rounds that haven’t gone our way. We just started the ladder of getting to the shop and working even harder. Our crew chiefs are doing a great job of that – Jason McCulloch, Kurt Elliott and Ronnie Thompson are working with Connie (team owner Connie Kalitta), and we’re really going through everything and working hard to get better – we’re happy with our progress so far.”

After off-season work at the race shop, pre-season testing and working to refine every process associated with the CMR team, Langdon and crew are optimistic that this team will find itself back in the winner’s circle very soon. Once the proper process is in place, the rest can take care of itself.

“It’s really just a ‘one step-at-a-time’ process,” Langdon added. “We go to the track prepared, and you’re ready for round one. When you’re ready for round one, you make a good run, and then everything just kind falls into place. You start making better runs, you have an opportunity to win; you win, and then win more and eventually move into contention to win championships. My goal is to leave first every time with every race; that’s the mindset.”

And he usually does. Langdon is known just about every year as one of the best at leaving the starting line before his opponent.

“It’s my competitiveness and determination that drive me; I hate losing,” Langdon said. “I kind of demand perfection from myself and if that happens, you can leave on everybody. If I don’t do that, I have to figure out how to do it – it’s what I think about basically 24 hours a day. I go out there for one purpose, and that purpose is for me to leave first. When I do that, I know I’m doing my best to help Team Kalitta win.”

Race Information:
Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.
TV Schedule:             Qualifying 1: 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 11 on FS1
Qualifying 2: 9-10:30 a.m. Sunday, March 12 on FS1
Eliminations Pre-Show: 10:30 a.m. – Noon Sunday, March 12 on FS1
Finals: Noon – 3 p.m. on FOX Network
2022 NHRA Gatornationals Highlights: Did not qualify
Career Stats: 309 events, 332 round wins, 17 wins, 37 final rounds, 19 No. 1 qualifiers